FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 5, 2010

CONTACT:  Betsy Barrett 202-997-3266

Dearborn — Dingell for Congress has launched its second television ad, “Gamble,” focusing on Republican candidate Rob Steele’s plan to gamble the hard-earned benefits of Social Security on Wall Street.  The ad will appear on cable and broadcast television throughout the 15th District of Michigan.

To see the ad, click here.

Rob Steele’s radical agenda supports privatizing Social Security– a program that celebrated its 75th anniversary this year.  According to Source 4 Politics, Steele has said, “Medicare and Social Security are run identically to the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme.”  This statement is clearly not true:  Ponzi schemes are illegal because they are fraudulent and promise impossible results. Medicare and Social Security are reliable, undisguised long-term programs.  Social Security has built up reserves to pay retirees on-time and never a dollar short.  Since its inception, Social Security has kept millions out of poverty and provided stability and dignity for seniors.  Almost 111,000 people in the 15th District received Social Security benefits last year.  Steele’s gamble with Michigan seniors’ retirement would jeopardize the commitment we made to our seniors and to younger workers looking ahead to retirement.  Dingell is a leader who knows Michigan seniors need these benefits to be secure.  He would never support privatizing Social Security or gambling with Social Security benefits.

“I am a fierce fighter for Social Security,” Dingell said.  “Michigan’s working families deserve leadership that would never gamble with these benefits.  They can count on me  to never put this vital lifeline for seniors, workers with disabilities, and dependents in the greedy hands of Wall Street.  Privatizing Social Security isn’t the right way to protect Social Security and Medicare–it is a bad idea.  We must continue to improve the lives of working families and seniors across the 15th District, not gamble with their livelihood, so I will continue to fight for programs like Social Security at every turn.”

Dingell is endorsed by the National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare and earned a 100% voting record on their Congressional scorecard.

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